Death lends a hand
by MichaellaD
Summary: Jane and Lisbon can't solve a case quickly enough so help is called in. (CNC)
1. Jane and Lisbon are offered help

**A/N: I really really need a name for these things. For now I'm going to keep calling it a crossover non-crossover story (maybe CNC for short). Please see my profile for details.**

**This time I picked Columbo, season 1, episode 2. I think I've fallen in love with a young Columbo (don't mock my taste, please!). Now please tell me some of you are Columbo fans, because that was a brilliant show. I firmly believe every Mentalist fan would like Columbo. You know all those tricks Jane pulls that we love so much? A whole heck of a lot of them were invented by Columbo! For example, the Columbo pilot episode has a plot that is IDENTICAL to 3x19 (the first episode with Erica Flynn). It's kind of eerie. Of course, Columbo is more polite than Jane.**

**Oh, just one more thing: I do not own the Mentalist or Columbo.**

* * *

Abbott's team (minus Wiley) piled out of two cars at an abandoned parking lot. A young woman's body, lying faceup on the ground, was being examined by a coroner.

"I can't tell for sure, but I don't think she was killed here," he was saying. "Looks like the body was moved."

Abbott walked up. "Hello, I'm Agent Abbott from the FBI." He held out his hand to a nervous-looking officer.

"Thanks for coming. I'm Officer Doyle. When we found out that she's Lenore Kennicut, I figured I better call the big guns. Pretty sure her husband wouldn't be happy with local police."

"Who's her husband?" asked Jane, stretching from the ride.

"Arthur Kennicut. Got ties to every major newspaper in the country."

"So you handed the case over to us so that if the case doesn't get solved it's the FBI that'll be in trouble. Wait - let me guess. You looked around real quick, decided it was - (Jane peered into Doyle's face) - a mugging, and that you'd never find the guy. So you called us to deal with the mess."

"What are you talking about?" he blustered, fooling nobody.

"Don't worry. Big Brother's here to take charge." Jane squatted down by the corpse. "So what was the cause of death?"

Abbott raised his eyebrows at Jane's effortless takeover of control, but didn't say anything.

"Probably a severe concussion."

Another officer walked up to Doyle. "Prints team's all wrapped up. Nothing."

"Thank you," said Abbott. The junior officer looked up in surprise.

"Yeah, this is the FBI. They're taking the case," said Doyle defiantly.

"Oh, okay." The other officer was unperturbed.

The coroner was pointing at the victim's head. "There were two blows, a severe laceration on the cheek, and a major contusion at the base of the skull. Maybe someone hit her and she struck her head going down. I'll know more after the autopsy."

"The bruise is on the left cheek," mused Jane.

"I know that," said the coroner.

Abbott turned to Doyle again. "Have you contacted the husband?"

"Yes." Doyle was suddenly all action, finally finding himself on level ground. "He's on his way back to town. I told him to come to the police station. He needs to identify the body."

"Fine. I take it you don't mind if we use the station until ths case is solved?"

"No, not at all."

Abbott looked at him hard. "Good."

* * *

Arthur Kennicut was an older, distinguished looking man. Cho ushered him into the morgue. He looked at the body for two seconds before closing his eyes tightly.

"It's Lenore. I want to get out of here."

Cho brought him back out to the waiting area, where Lisbon was brewing some coffee. She brought over two cups and handed one to Kennicut.

"Thanks."

I know it's not a great time, but we have some questions we have to ask you," said Lisbon gently.

"No, no. I can feel sorry for myself some other time. After you've caught him." He looked into his coffee cup. "As the husband, I'm the likeliest suspect, correct?"

"Yes," Cho said, as gently as he could. (Which wasn't very gentle.)

"You don't have to worry about my feelings, Agent Cho." He settled back in one of the uncomfortable orange chairs. "She was killed last night. What time?"

"Between 8 and 9pm."

"Well, I was in San Francisco adressing a conference. I didn't fly back until this morning."

Cho pulled out a notebook. "Do you have the flight numbers on that?"

"My secretary can give them to you, together with my hotel and my schedule. You'll check them all out, naturally."

"Yes, sir," Lisbon assured him.

His voice grew authoritative. "And when you do, you'll dismiss me as a possibility, and you can get down to the _real_ business of finding the _real_ killer. And I want him found, agents. Soon."

Cho looked up. "We'll do our best."

"I'm sure you will."

"Did your wife have any enemies?"

"Lenore never offended a soul. She was an extraordinary woman."

"Was there ever another man in her life?"

"Naturally. More than one. But that was years ago. Before we were married."

Cho raised an eyebrow. "I meant since you were married."

"You are speaking of an affair?"

"Yes."

"Well, don't bother. Lenore was faithful to me in every way. She had a clean bill of health." He smiled sadly to himself.

Cho made a note on his pad.

"So you don't think we need to go in that direction," said Lisbon.

"No, I don't."

Lisbon decided to let that pass, although in her experience husbands never had any clue if their wives were faithful. "All right, can you tell us about her habits, what she used to do in her spare time?

"Nothing unusual. Shopping, charity work... sports."

"Sports." Cho was mildly surprised. The dead woman hadn't seemed very athletic. "What kind of sports did she play?"

"Oh, tennis... She was also very fond of skindiving."

"Did she do this with you, or with friends?"

"With friends, agent!" Kennicut was quietly self-deprecating, bringing attention to his age without actually mentioning it. "Female friends, in case you're wondering."

"Do you know where she was last night?" put in Lisbon.

"She would have been at the house. Are you looking for permission to search my house?"

"That would make things easier."

"All right. I can give you the security tapes too."

"Thanks. That would be very helpful."

Kennicut was looking at the floor, fiddling with his coffee cup.

Cho stood up. "Okay, that's good for now."

Kennicut looked up. "Agent Cho. Agent Lisbon. I want you to understand something. I married a woman young enough to be my daughter. A lot of people were sceptical. But it worked for us. We loved each other. We loved each other very much. We even thought of having a child." He struggled for breath for a moment. "I want this man caught. And I must warn you I don't intend to be patient."

Lisbon nodded sympathetically. "Yes, sir." They turned to go.

"Oh, and Agent Lisbon," he called out. "Thanks for the coffee."

* * *

_56 Ocean Way, San Francisco  
Arthur Kennicut's beach house_

"Excuse me, sir?" Fischer approached an appallingly old man bent over some rose bushes. He didn't move.

"Excuse me?" she called louder.

He straightened up. "Yes?"

"Mr. Adamson? Are you the caretaker of this place?"

"Yeah, that's me. Why?"

"Agent Kim Fischer, FBI, and this is Agent Cho. I need to ask you a few questions about Lenore Kennicut."

"Oh, right. Yeah, I told those guys at the station, she came here last night about seven-thirty."

"This was unusual?"

"Yeah, they don't come here middle of the week. Just weekends."

"But she came yesterday. Did she say why?"

"She said she had to think. Then she went on a walk. Last I saw her."

"Did she normally go walking?" asked Cho.

"Nope. If she wanted exercise there's a tennis court out back. But it's not my place to comment on my employer's habits." He was faintly disapproving.

They stayed a bit longer but were unable to get anything more from Mr. Adamson. Plainly he'd told them everything he knew. When they pushed a little harder he just started telling them about the best way to grow roses, so Fischer gave up in disgust and took her leave.

* * *

Abbott was presiding over the temporary bullpen. "All right people. What have we got?"

"Jane and I talked to her skindiving friends - they also insist that Lenore didn't have an enemy in the world," Lisbon offered.

"None of them did it, either," Jane interjected.

"Yes, well, until we can prove their alibis, we'll treat them as suspects."

Jane rolled his eyes.

"The caretaker doesn't know much," said Fischer. "Says she went on a walk to 'think' at about seven-thirty and he never saw her again."

"The security cameras corroborate that," put in Wiley. "They also show that Mr. Adamson didn't leave the property until the next morning."

"Okay, we can rule him out. What about family?"

"I looked up the men in Lenore's life before she was married," Cho added. "She hasn't seen any of them in at least five years, and as far as I can tell they don't have broken hearts about her marrying someone else."

"So, if we discount the skindiving friends-"

"Oh, yeah, you can," Jane said, looking up at the ceiling.

"-we're left with absolutely nothing to go on," continued Abbott, ignoring Jane.

That imp sat up. "Not nothing. We know she knew her attacker."

"How?" snapped Lisbon, annoyed that he hadn't told her before.

"Look at her behavior. Completely uncharacteristic. She goes off the her beach house and says she needs to think. The only reason she would go to the beach house to think would be if she had to meet someone. Obviously she had some sort of personal problem she needed to work through. Now I'll bet her husband knows what that was. I need to go talk to him."

Abbott looked sceptical.

"Now, Dennis, I know you've been keeping me far away from him, but I promise to be on my best behavior." He flashed a dazzling smile.

* * *

_7 McGill Drive  
Arthur Kennicut's home_

Kennicut leaned back in his chair. "Any progress?"

Lisbon looked straight at him. "We're investigating several leads."

"We've got zip," called out Jane from the kitchen. Lisbon shot a glare his way.

"Not a single lead?" Kennicut asked, not seeming surprised.

Jane wandred back out, carrying a cup of tea. "Well, your wife's behavior was a little strange. She went out to the beach house in the middle of the week and said to the caretaker that she had some thinking to do, then she went for a walk. And then the next morning her body was found on the other side of town."

Kennicut shifted around so he could see Jane. "What are you getting at?"

"It's obvious that she had a problem. Did your wife have any personal..."

Kennicut cut him off. "My wife was a very happy woman, agent."

"Oh, I'm a consultant. Just call me Jane."

"All right, _Jane_."

Lisbon reentered the conversation. "If she did have a problem, possibly we could connect it to the murder. Do you have any idea if there was something going on in her life?"

"Is there any proof that there was?"

"No, sir."

Kennicut gave a sigh of exasperation. "Agent, I call the station every half hour to find out what you people are doing. So far, not a word. No arrests, not even a promise of one. Now you tell me you have no leads.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Kennicut, it looks like it's gonna be slow."

"It doesn't have to be," he said disapprovingly.

The doorbell rang.

"Ah, right on time." A tall man in glasses was shown into the room. "Agent Lisbon, Jane, this is Mr. Brimmer."

Jane transfered his tea to his left hand and leaned over the couch in order to shake hands. "Howd'yedo."

"You've heard of Brimmer Associates?"

Jane kept his grip on Brimmer's hand a trifle longer than necessary. "No."

Brimmer spoke up. "Well, it's security and investigations - you might say you and I are in the same business.

"Oh really." Lisbon was annoyed. What was this man doing here?

Kennicut answered that for her. "Naturally you're wondering why Mr. Brimmer's here. Now please don't take this as a reflection on you: I've engaged his firm to work on the case."

"Now Arthur, I'm here in an advisory capacity, a supplemental capacity only." Brimmer smiled at them. "I don't want the agents to get the idea that I'm competing with them. No reason why a public agency and a private one can't cooperate."

"No." Lisbon's tone plainly said she thought the opposite.

"You see, I want as much coverage of this case as possible, and when Mr. Brimmer called and offered up his services, I thought it was an excellent idea."

"Oh!" Jane had an interesting look on his face. "You two know each other, then?"

"Well, Mr. Brimmer's done some work for me."

"What sort of work?"

"It was a personal matter," said Brimmer flatly. Lisbon looked oddly at Jane when he let it pass.

"Mr. Brimmer used to be a police officer himself," Kennicut said, in a way that clearly implied that he had been a better cop than either of the two now in front of him.

"We're grateful for any help we can get. I'm just not sure how my superiors are going to take this," said Lisbon, falling back on an easy way out.

Kennicut held up a hand. "That's all been taken care of."

Brimmer cut in. "Mr. Kennicut is anxious for a quick resolution of the case, you can understand that."

"Naturally." Jane smiled.

"Well, good! I hope the association will be beneficial to you."

"You know, I suddenly feel very much more optimistic about this whole thing!" Jane smiled. Lisbon tried not to look too disbelieving. "It's not based on anything, no facts, but you know, I'm a superstitious guy. You know, I believe in signs. I believe in palmistry and astrology and all that kind of thing." He looked over at Kennicut. "You don't, I know that."

"No, definitely not."

"Let me see your hand." He grabbed his right hand without waiting for an answer. Lisbon looked on, bemused. "See Mr. Kennicut, that's your fake line, it breaks there. That's bad luck. But it picks up again, and that's interesting. That's a very good omen."

Jane turned now to Brimmer. "May I?" He picked up his right hand. "Mmm. Deep line of Apollo. That's a man devoted to his work. Your Apollo line crosses the Madera bone. You know that's very rare? And very impressive. That's the sign of a man who's destined to attain a very particular kind of distinction; that's a very good sign." He dropped his hand and backed up a touch. Lisbon was looking at him with barely concealed amusement. "I know you think it's silly, but I'm gonna make a believer out of you before I'm done."

"It was very nice meeting you," said Lisbon as she followed Jane out.

He turned back suddenly and she almost walked into him. "Oh Mr. Brimmer! You also have a large thumb. Low mount of Venus. Means ambition. Purposefulness." He smiled as he yanked open a large ornate door.

"That's a closet, Jane." Lisbon was no longer bothering to hide her smile. It wasn't often Jane got caught out like this.

Now that the closet was open of course, there was no stopping him from peering into it.

"Are those ladies' clubs?"

"Yes. They were Lenore's."

"You didn't say she played golf," pointed out Lisbon, detective instincts ablaze.

"Because she just started."

Jane nodded. "Ah, I see. Where'd she play?"

"At the Country Club."

"Why she didn't keep her clubs in the locker room?"

"She did. That's an extra set she used to take lessons with."

"Oh, she didn't take lessons at her own club? She took them someplace else?" Jane eyes had lit up with blue fire.

"Sky Lane. Why? Is it important?"

"Oh, it's not important, I just like to get that background information. Often it helps later on in the investigation."

He seemed to be done, so Lisbon steered him towards the exit. This time they actually did make it out the door without incident. Jane waved back at Kennicut cheerfully. "Bye!" He watched Kennicut turn towards Brimmer with an odd look on his face before the door closed.


	2. Jane and Lisbon concoct a plan

**A/N: You've probably noticed that the title is a massive spoiler by now, so the murderer won't surprise you at all. What can I say? In Columbo, you know who the murderer is from the start. ****No matter how hard I try, I cannot keep the flavour of the original shows out of my CNCs.**

* * *

Lisbon was so upset about this turn of events that she actually let Jane drive so that she could call Abbott and confirm that they actually would have to cooperate with a private detective agency.

Jane grinned as she hung up the phone. "Don't be so upset! I think this is a good idea. Like an extra consultant."

Lisbon glared at him. "What was with that whole palmistry exercise back there?"

"Oh. That. I just wanted to see if there was a bruise on their hands."

"Right. That was a pretty bad cut on her cheek," recalled Lisbon.

"But nothing. No bruise. I did notice that Brimmer was ambidextrous."

"And that doesn't help because the injuries are consistent with a right-handed person." Lisbon took a deep breath. "Okay. Do we have anything to go on?"

"Well, I bet Abbott will start looking for her lover right away, but I'm pretty sure he won't be our guy. Ah, here we are." Jane pulled into one of the temporary FBI parking sports, currently marked by handmade cardboard signs.

"Wait a minute! Her lover? What are you talking about?"

Jane was already out of the car. "I'll meet you inside. I have to go talk to the coroner." He smiled back at her disbelieving self.

"Get back here!" He was already gone.

* * *

"What you're suggesting is against my professional integrity." The coroner was indignant.

"Pfft. No such thing. Not with you. I already know you get paid by Brimmer to hand over autopsy reports. Now, if you want me to be the only one who knows, you'll do what I say."

Abbott walked in. "Jane. We need you upstairs."

"Good. I have several interesting things to share!"

The coroner went pale. "We're good," he said, addressing Jane. "I'll do it."

"Do what?" asked Abbott.

"He's going to show me where I can make a decent cup of tea in the station. Everything tastes like swill." Jane smiled.

"Great," said Abbott, not believing a word. "Come on."

As soon as they were in the hallway Abbott turned on Jane. "Care to tell me what that was about?"

"Not really, no."

Abbott sighed. "Can I at least ask what you learned at Kennicut's house, considering I was risking all our necks by allowing you within 10 miles of him?"

Jane beamed. "You most certainly can, Dennis. And what is more, I'll even tell you!"

Abbott opened his mouth but was cut off by Wiley. "I found something interesting, sir," he said, not looking up as the two men entered. "Brimmer has a beach house just down the road from the Kennicut's."

"Thank you, Wiley." Abbott turned to Jane. "You were saying..."

"Yes. Lenore Kennicut was having an affair."

"Husband didn't think so," cut in Cho. "Said she had a 'clean bill of health'."

"Really? Interesting."

"How did you decide that she was having an affair?" demanded Lisbon.

"He hired Brimmer for a 'personal matter' - obviously he suspected an affair. Now you say the husband said a 'clean bill of health'. That's not his words. They're almost certainly Brimmer's. Possibly she _wasn't_ having an affair?" He trailed off, thinking deeply.

"Jane?" asked Lisbon.

"Oh, right. Well, he didn't mention she played golf because that's where he thought she was involved with someone."

"Lisbon. You and Fischer go find her golf instructor. Maybe he'll know something. Cho. Take Jane and go talk to Brimmer again. See what you can find out about this."

"Keep an eye out for rings," put in Jane.

"What?"

"That mark on her cheek - it was left by a ring. You know, the hand kind. Just be on the lookout."

"What about me?" asked Wiley of Abbott.

"I need your help," said Jane, whom Cho had been trying to usher out of the door for the last five minutes now. "Find me the guy that's highest paid by Brimmer, the guy who does the important jobs."

"Focus on whether you can find anything in the financials," instructed Abbott. "I'll do my best to keep Kennicut from breathing down our necks." He raised his eyebrows. "Let's hope we solve this quickly."

"Don't forget my thing!" stage-whispered Jane as Cho gave up and walked out, declaring that he was leaving whether or not Jane came along.

* * *

_4983 Sky Lane, Calif.  
Sky Lane Golf Club_

An athletic, handsome young man with a springy step walked into a comfortably messy office and stopped short. It was already occupied, by two women in severe dark pantsuits. The shorter woman was flipping through an appointment book that was lying on his desk. His eyes narrowed.

"So, are you a member of the club?" he asked warily.

The woman straightened up without a hint of guiltiness. "No, I'm Agent Lisbon, FBI."

"What's the problem?"

"I'd like to ask you a few questions about Lenore Kennicut. You knew her?"

The young man deposited his golf clubs in a corner. "Not very well. I gave her a few lessons."

"Is this your appointment book?" Lisbon asked, picking it up.

"You should know. You've been looking at it."

"I hope you don't mind. I was just killing time, and it was on your desk. Now that you mention it, I see that you gave her a lot of lessons."

"She liked the game."

"I see. Well, since you spent a lot of time with her, perhaps you can help us."

"How?" He was still suspicious.

"Did you notice her getting involved with any of the men here?"

"Look, Agent, we better get one thing straight. I teach them golf, and I play in their tournaments, but I don't get involved in their personal lives. If they wanna pair off, that's none of my business."

"There was a funny thing about your appointments with Mrs. Kennicut: The first two were in the morning, and all the rest, thirteen of them, were always in the middle or late afternoon."

"So?"

"So every time you had an appointment with Mrs. Kennicut, it was always the last lesson of the day."

"I like to finish at a reasonable hour. Doesn't everyone?"

Fischer had finally picked up on where Lisbon was going. "So those days you left the club. I thought you'd hang around and pick up the odd lesson."

"Oh, I didn't always go home."

She had a predatory grin on her face as he walked directly into her trap. "Now who said anything about going _home_?"

* * *

_982 25th St., San Francisco  
Brimmer Associates company headquarters_

"Quite a building you've got here. Must be a lot of business for your company these days." Jane was craning his neck in Brimmer's huge office.

"Sure is. We can't handle it all, and I've got a staff of fifty. All of them brilliant detectives. I only hire the best."

"What's your theory with the Kennicut case?" asked Cho without inflection.

"My guess? She was forced into a car by somebody. She fought back, got knocked on the head. The murderer drove around in a panic, finally ending up in the parking lot where we found the body."

Jane looked at him pityingly. "Surely you can come up with a better theory than that. It's an insult to my intelligence and to yours."

Brimmer smiled at him serenely. "Have you got anything?

"Oh, no. But at least I can admit that."

"Do you have the files from the case? I believe my secretary called and asked for them."

"No," Cho said flatly.

Brimmer's smile was firmly in place. "I believe I was promised full cooperation."

"Oh, yeah, but that doesn't mean we have to do everything you tell us to. You want the file, you can walk down yourself and get it." Jane's smile matched Brimmer's, degree for degree.

"I see. So why are you here?"

"We want to know what Kennicut hired you for." Cho explained without preamble.

"I've told you there's a confidentiality agreement. Without a warrant..."

"Oh, it doesn't matter. We know. He wanted to know if Lenore was cheating on him. Was she?"

"I am not at liberty to confirm or deny anything."

"So she was! Now why would you tell him she wasn't?"

Brimmer stood up. "I don't believe there's anything further to be said here."

"Have you ever been to Kennicut's beach house?" Cho intervened. "It's pretty close to yours."

"It's actually not that close. Couple of miles. And no."

Jane went back on the attack. "Why did you want so bad to be on this case? Were you her lover? That it? You didn't want her husband to find out? Did you kill her?"

Brimmer lunged at him. Cho grabbed his arm before it hit its mark. "All right, take it easy."

"Yeah. Take it easy," Jane called.

"_Jane_..."

Brimmer shook himself free, once more in icy control of himself.

"All right, all right, we're done here. Thank you for your time," said Jane, hands in the air. Still red-faced, Brimmer watched them go.

"What was that about?" asked Cho once they were safely in the car.

"Just proving a theory."

"You better tell me what that theory was, because I'm not starting the car until you do."

"Fine. He killed her. Did you notice that ring on his hand? Just the kind of thing to put that mark on her cheek. He went after me with his left hand, his dominant hand, _backhand_, just like he did with Lenore, which is why the bruise was on her right cheek."

Cho nodded and put the car in gear. "So it wasn't premeditated. He lost his temper and she hit her head going down."

"Bravo!"

"Why?"

"Probably he was trying to blackmail her. Her husband knows a lot of secrets. I'll bet he wanted to cash in on that. But she wasn't going for it. Maybe she even threatened to expose him for fraudulent business practise."

"Makes sense. Too bad it's impossible to prove. We'll never get a warrant on what we've got."

"Hmm. I'll have to think of something else."

"Uh oh," said Cho.

* * *

"So you were having an affair with her." Lisbon and Fischer were walking with the hapless golf instructor along a deserted path by the water.

"Yeah. Turning on the ladies is about the only thing I do well. I'm a terrible golfer. It was pretty good for a while, at least for me, until she got guilty feeling. Funny thing is, she really loved her husband. One day she said, 'Ken, this is bad for both of us.'"

"How long ago?" asked Lisbon.

"About a month ago."

"Must have shook you up when you heard she was dead," commented Fischer.

"I couldn't believe it! I knew sooner or later you guys'd get around to me, maybe say I killed her."

"Do you have an alibi for that night?"

He sighed. "I was watching TV."

They stopped walking. "Don't worry," said Lisbon. "We know you didn't do it."

"Really?"

"Whoever hit her was wearing a ring. No one would put on a ring for a murder and I can tell by your tan you don't wear rings."

Ken looked down at his hands bemusedly, then closed his eyes in relief.

"Do you have any idea who killed her?" Lisbon asked.

"No, nobody."

"Well, if anything comes to mind, give us a call." Fischer shook his hand. "Thank you for your time."

A shrill ring broke the silence. Lisbon picked up her phone. "Jane? What is it?"

"Meet me at the Rotary Park on Seventh. Just get Fischer to drop you off."

"Why? Who's there?"

"Just someone we should talk to." He hung up.

"Jane-" She sighed and turned to Fischer. "I need you to drop me off somewhere."

* * *

Lisbon found him swinging a squealing little boy, about 6 years old.

"Care to tell me what we're doing here?"

"Wiley told me that Leo Jetthrie is Brimmer's right-hand man. Now no one seems to know where Leo is, but his wife might know something. And here she comes!"

Lisbon turned around and watched a middle-aged, angry-looking woman come up, carrying two ice cream cones. "What's going on?"

"Mrs. Jetthrie! You've a terrific kid here, you know. Can't scare this boy. Always wants to go higher."

"Higher!" the terrific kid yelled on cue.

"Higher? Listen, you go higher and I'll eat your ice cream, how about that." Jane's eyes crinkled about the corners and Lisbon detected that extra softness in his eyes that was always present when he was around kids.

"No, I want my ice cream."

"All right, you're coming down." He caught him gently about the waist and brought the swing to a stop.

"Do we know each other?" asked the mother.

"No. I'm Patrick Jane, and this is Teresa Lisbon; we're with the FBI."

"My dad's a private eye!" piped up the little boy.

Jane smiled. "I know that, Teddy. And he's a very good one." He turned back to the mother. "We'd like to ask you a few questions."

"If it's about Leo's work..."

"No, no. We're working on a case and were looking for his help, but we couldn't locate him..."

"He went away," Teddy interrupted.

"I'm sorry. His boss called last night, sent him on a special assignment."

"Do you know where he went? Maybe how long he'll be gone?" put in Lisbon.

"Nope. That's the way it is with Leo. Took his passport, and that's all I know."

"He's gone," piped up Teddy happily. Jane ruffled his hair.

"Was he on a case recently where he was following a married woman?" asked the consultant.

"I really don't know. We never discuss his work. It's a household rule. I'm no good at keeping secrets." She smiled sheepishly. "If you have any questions you better ask Leo."

Jane nodded. "All right. Well, I'll leave you be." He bent over the swing. "Bye-bye, Ted."

"What exactly did that accomplish?" hissed Lisbon as they were walking away.

"That, my dear, was a last-ditch attempt to solve this legally. Leo was the man following Lenore, I'm sure of it, but he was sent out of the country because he's the only piece of evidence we have."

"Evidence of what?"

"Oh, that's right, you don't know. Brimmer's the killer. Where have you been?"

"Jane, you better tell me everything right now, before I strangle you."

* * *

"Mr. Kennicut, we're getting nowhere on your wife's case. Ask Brimmer, he'll have a lot of fancy language, but it'll boil down to the same thing." Jane was sitting on the couch in Kennicut's living room again. "Now I've got a plan. It'll be painful for you, but I think it'll work."

"Will it prove who killed Lenore?"

"It's the best shot we've got."

Kennicut was a decisive man. "Then you have a blank cheque."

Jane smiled. "Good."

* * *

Abbott was not quite so impressed with Jane, but he did come to the cemetery. He kept turning around during the drive. "I think there's someone following us."

"That's Brimmer's men. They're been following us from the start. Don't worry. It's all part of the plan."

"Yes. About that. What are you planning?"

"I think the coroner missed something. Kennicut signed an exhumation order, so we'll see if I'm right."

Kennicut was already there waiting for them. Brimmer pulled up at the same moment. He got to the newspaperman first.

"Arthur."

"I should have called, but there wasn't time. What happened to your car? I thought you drove a Mercedes."

"Just in the shop. Wouldn't start this afternoon. Did something break in the case?"

"Don't know yet."

The FBI team stayed away from the two men at Jane's request. They sort of clustered around the reopened grave instead.

Brimmer opened the car door and sat down beside Kennicut. "Tell me what's going on."

"Lenore was wearing her contact lenses when she was killed."

"And how is that significant?"

"There's a chance that she lost one of them. Or both. She certainly couldn't see without them."

"The coroner didn't check to see if she was wearing them?"

"I don't think so."

Brimmer heaved himself out of the car and walked over to Abbott. "This is a grave oversight, you realize. Was the coroner asleep at the time?"

"His main concern had been cause of death. Whether or not she was wearing contacts had been fairly irrelevant."

"I don't mean to be critical, but this is beyond a long shot. Might as well buy a lottery ticket."

The coroner called Abbott over at that moment. He came back almost immediately. "Good news. She's missing her right contact lens. It's not in the coffin."

"How does that help? Do you even have any idea where she was murdered?" Brimmer was incredulous.

"We've got a few tricks up our sleeve. You keep working on the case your way, we'll do it our way." Jane patted him comradely on the shoulder.

The private eye stared at them mutely as Abbott, Jane and Lisbon piled into their car and drove off.


	3. Jane and Lisbon talk potatoes

Brimmer slunk through the darkened garage to his car. He quietly opened the trunk and clambered in. He switched on a pocket flashlight and commenced searching it methodically. From under one edge of the carpet he pulled out a small, see-through disk that he held up to the light. He breathed a short sigh of relief and put it in his pocket. He clambered out of the trunk.

Just as he slammed the trunk lid shut all the lights in the garage flickered on. Brimmer looked around him in surprise as Cho, Fischer, Abbott, Lisbon, Jane, Kennicut and even Wiley popped out from behind various cars in the shop.

"Would you mind telling us what you're doing?" called Abbott.

"I'd say that's none of your business."

"Last I checked, breaking and entering were against the law. What were you looking for?"

Brimmer's jaw was clenching and unclenching spasmodically. "Papers. For a case. I thought they were here. It's an emergency."

"Admit it!" roared Kennicut. "You were searching the trunk becuse that's where you hid the body!"

Brimmer took a deep breath - a futile effort to calm down. "All right. What's the next step?"

"Let's go downtown..." Abbott began.

"Am I under arrest?"

"Yes," Cho deadpanned, reaching for him with handcuffs.

Brimmer wrenched his hand away. "On what evidence?"

Jane, meanwhile, had been sidling closer. "How about that contact in your pocket?"

Brimmer's unconvincing bluster was cut short by Abbott's terse order to search him. The lens was found almost immediately. All the fight just drained out of him. He turned to Kennicut, looking very old. "It was an accident, Arthur. It wasn't... premeditated. I hardly knew your wife. I didn't want to hurt either one of you. It... happened."

Kennicut turned his back contemptuously and walked away, alone with his grief. Abbott nodded at Cho, who promptly cuffed Brimmer and began reciting his rights.

Brimmer looked at Jane. "You're one hell of a detective."

Jane nodded. "Thank you."

* * *

The team was packing up. Yet another of the boring, unglamourous parts of police life. Of course, Jane was no help at all, tossing a potato from one hand to the other.

"Lucky she lost that contact lens," Fischer was saying. "Did it ever get tested for Lenore's DNA?"

"Oh, that wasn't hers," said Jane casually. "She still had both of them on. I just grabbed one from a drug store."

Fischer shook her head at an oblivious Jane. Jane tossed the potato again and almost beaned Abbott.

"Jane, where did you get that?" he asked in exasperation.

In answer, Jane started singing.

_"It's Bud the Spud from the bright red mud  
Rolling down the highway smiling  
The spuds are big on the back of Bud's rig  
And they're from Prince Edward Island."_

Lisbon rolled her eyes.

"What if his car hadn't broken down? Where would you have set up the trap?" asked Wiley.

"Oh, I'd have managed."

"Jane, are you going to give us a hand here?" asked Fischer crossly.

Jane ignored her. "You know, potatoes are the most useful vegetables on the planet."

"If it's not in the _Guiness World Records_ book, I don't believe it," said Cho. A close observer might have perceived that he was slightly amused.

"If you boil a potato, the leftover water is great for taking the tarnish off silver, for example," continued Jane, unheeding. "And rubbing a raw potato over ski goggles will keep them from fogging up."

"How do you know these things?" asked Fischer in disbelief.

"I remember doing those stamp things with potatoes in grade school," contributed Wiley.

Jane disregarded this. "Now I'm no good with cars, but Lisbon here tells me that if you get a potato just the right size to fit in the exhaust pipe, your car won't start! Crazy, huh?"

Abbott stopped and turned toward Lisbon. She was still methodically arranging her things, no trace of unease. He opened his mouth to speak, then shut it again.

"Yeah, my brothers showed me that," she was saying. "Did it to my principal. Took the mechanic two days to figure out what was wrong." She smiled reminiscently.

Jane's smile bloomed. "Really, Lisbon! Now why did you hate her so much?"

Lisbon heaved her box into her arms and smiled at Jane. "That's for me to know and you to find out," she said saucily, heading for the door. Grinning widely, Jane followed her out.

* * *

**A/N: I love writing CNCs. They practically write themselves, and I've finally got the hang of them. Hope you liked it.**

**Song credit is Bud the Spud by Stompin' Tom Connors, an absolute legend up here in Canada. Please do not look up the song - it will make you doubt Canadians' sanity, having such a singer as a hero.**


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